Chapter 532 - 215: Chaos, the Source of Everything

He could tell as much from the expressions of the Legendary Mages present—if they came up with nothing, their intelligence department would likely be punished!

"Boras, should we inform the Chief about this?" a wizard with a weathered face, sitting opposite Anenep, asked in a slow, hoarse voice.

"Hmm?" Boras shot him a glance. After a few seconds of silence, he nodded and said, "Of course. I will go and inform Chief Vaklaf about this later."

"That’s good..."

Just then, Anenep seemed to notice something. He pulled out a blue and white box, opened it, and saw several letters inside. "Boras," he said, the sound of the latch echoing with a CLICK, "the four Research Centers have all sent their reports verifying the flaws."

"Open them!"

"Feng Enliso Research Center confirms the existence of the flaw. They also verified an identical problem in the Shadow Wrapping Rune."

"The Tino Bayen Research Center also confirms... The Lightning Arrow Spell has the same problem..."

"Dalko Research Center... two problems found with Undead Frenzy..."

BANG!

"Enough!" Hearing this, Boras couldn’t help but wave his staff again, firing off a blast of magic. He declared coldly, "From now on, seal all major Research Centers. No one is allowed to leave, and all external communication channels are to be shut down!"

"What?!"

The other wizards were stunned by his decision.

"In my capacity as the acting chief and Vice Chairman of the Ghost Soul School," Boras said, offering no explanation. He flashed a jet-black ring on his finger, an orange-red flame flickering faintly upon it. He swept his gaze across the room and declared, "Until every Magic Rune has been investigated, all researcher activities are canceled! All visits from outsiders are forbidden!"

The others exchanged glances, but seeing him invoke his authority, they could only nod in helpless agreement.

According to the ancient traditions of the Ghost Soul School, the Vice Chairman’s authority was sufficient to make such a decision. The others could only obey; they had no option to refuse.

"Um... what about researchers who are already outside?" the Werewolf director asked, breaking the silence and raising a claw.

"Hmm?" Boras tilted his head, musing, "You’re referring to... that little guy?"

"Yes, Boras Legend," Amiditch said, rising helplessly. "He only just joined the Feng Enliso Research Center, and he isn’t currently at his own research institute."

"Then there’s no need to inform him about this!"

"Alright..."

"Wait!" Boras seemed to think of something, the red glow in his eyes flickering a few times. He said thoughtfully, "On second thought, inform him. This... hmm, I’ll do it myself."

He suddenly remembered that the "little guy" had shown great promise in rune research. ’Perhaps he, like the Faceless Mage, can also find some flaws in the Magic Runes.’

"Alright." The Werewolf director sat down, looking at the skeletal Legendary Mage in confusion, wondering what he was planning now.

"Director Sheldon, I want you to draft a notice immediately. Send it from the Ice Castle Research Center to all other Research Centers, ordering every institute—except for Wei’en Loft’s—to commit all their resources to investigating the Magic Runes!"

"Yes, Boras Legend!"

"At the same time, send a notice to all Great Mages about the Faceless Mage. Ask him to come forward and reveal his identity without any fear or hesitation. And... hmm,"

Boras looked at the elderly wizard, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke, "Legendary Igad, I’ll have to trouble you to contact the Nightmare Sect. See if you can directly request the Faceless Mage’s personal information."

"The Nightmare Sect? I will try," the elderly wizard, Igad, said with a slight nod. "But Boras, don’t hold out too much hope..."

"I understand... Alright, that’s all I have to say. Everyone, get to work. Anius, you stay for a moment."

Anius, who had been about to leave, stopped in her tracks. Her face grew pale. She wasn’t sure if being told to stay had something to do with the research report and project she had published earlier...

But she didn’t have the courage to defy the school’s Vice Chairman...

Thus, after the other wizards had left, only she and the skeletal Legendary Mage remained in the conference room.

"Sit."

Boras hopped off the conference table, settled into a high-backed chair, and gestured with his hand.

"Y-yes." Anius sat down tentatively at the far end of the table. She kept her head slightly lowered, not daring to look up at the Legendary Mage, whose power was as terrifying as his temper.

"I recall you exchanged communicators with the Faceless one?"

"Yes, Boras Legend. But he has never contacted me since. However..."

"Speak your mind. There’s no one else here."

Anius lifted her head slightly and stole a glance at him. "The Faceless Mage... when I first met him, his ’origin’ was only in the thirties. This time, it reached six hundred. I suspect he may not be one of our Ghosts..."

"How much time passed between those encounters?"

"Half a month..."

"What?!"

The red glow in Boras’s eyes suddenly contracted, condensing into two crystalline red dots. His tone was graver than ever before. "Are you certain?"

"I-I’m certain. I wasn’t the only one who noticed; every wizard at the gathering is aware of it." Anius nodded emphatically. "But as far as I know, there is no such Great Mage among the Ghosts..."

"No, it’s possible!"

"It is?"

"That’s none of your concern!"

Boras raised a hand to cut her off. "Alright, you may leave!"

"Yes."

Anius didn’t dare hesitate, rising and exiting the conference room.

Left alone, Boras gazed at the empty conference room. The light of a red moon shone through a hole in the roof, gathering into a crimson halo that illuminated him, making his crystalline skull-face appear exceptionally grim.